Electrical switch



Aug 17, 1948. 1.. c. ZEHNPFENNI 2,447,453

NOW BY DECR OF c RT 7 L. c. E ELECTRICAL 5W H Filed March 5, 46

L..C ZEHNPFENNIG Patented Aug. 17, 1948 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Leo C. Zehnpfennig, Merkel, Tex, now by judicial change of name Leo C. Zee

Application March s, 1946, Serial No. 652,166 1 Claim. (01. zoo-152) nate the closet temporarily, and upon, closing the door the circuit may be automatically disrupted so as to turn out the light.

Another object thereof is to provide such a form of switch that it may consist of only one part proper so far as movable mounting in a suitable case is concerned, and be effective, at all times, to positively close and open the circuit in which it is included.

A further object thereof is to provide a mercur switch wherein the movable parts may function without appreciable friction, noise and susceptibility of derangement, and wherein a proper balance and counterbalance of the mobile fluid may be had in the switch.

A still further object thereof is to provide a switch member in such a shape that due regard will be had to locating the main mass and bulk thereof where it will remain at rest in suspended relation in a switch case and cause a part thereof to movably project forwardly of the case to be contacted by the door as it is being closed. The retraction of the switch member thus occasioned by the door impact is effective to tilt the lever inside of the case and to redistribute automatically the mercury therein in such a manner that an electrical lighting circuit is disrupted suddenly which will darken the closet or room in which the switch is located, as is desired.

A further object thereof is to provide a heartshaped switch member with oppositely arranged contact points between which mercury in this member makes a shiftable traverse as well as a diminution of length for the purpose of either bridging electrically said contact points or else unbridging them.

With the above and other objects in view my invention consists in the combination, arrange ment and details of construction disclosed in.

the drawings and specification, and then more particularly pointed out in the appended claim;

Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1 but show ing some parts in a qualified position,

Figure 3-is a cross sectional elevation of the switch case, showing the switch lever therein,

Figure 4 is a. front sectional elevation of the switch member disclosing a mercury reservoir therein,

Figure 5 is a fragmental detail view of the switch member showing means for journaling the same, and a 'Figure 6 another fragmental elevation of the switch member, showing the relative positions of the contact points connected therein.-

In the drawings, which are merely illustrative of my invention, I show at 10 a switch case hollow inside as at l l, and *formed upon its narrow front wall with a slot I2.- A pair of stout brackets each have a horizontal arm 13 attached by fasteners 15 to the upper end of the case and a vertical arm l4 depending therefrom and oppositely arranged with respect to the medial line of the case. A pairof oppositely arranged pintles l5 and IS- respectively have their inner ends secured at the lower ends of the brackets so that they project towards each other towards the center of the case, as shown in Figure 1.

I provide a substantially heart-shaped switch lever or member made of insulating material, and so shaped as to have a short lobe 22 and a relatively longer lobe l9, the main trunk of the lever being rounded in one direction at H and in an opposite direction at 28. It will be seen that by pivotally mounting the short lobe 22 of the lever oscillatingly upon pins 15 and "5, which project into opposite sides thereof, the main mass or bulk of this lever will extend downwardly from the upper to the lower end of the case Hi, the center of gravity disposing this lever in such a position, as it hangs upon said pivot pins l5 and I6 that the longer lobe thereof l9, will project out of the slot I! of the case, as shown in Figure 2.

The switch lever thus mounted is at rest normally, when the door is open, which is intended to operate it for circuit openingpurposes. The door is designated A. Formed within the heartshaped lever eccentrically of the point of suspension of the lever is a cylindrical mercury reservoir 2| having a tangentially disposed chamber extension 22 extending as a straight prolongation from said reservoir 2| towards the outer end of the lever. The location of reservoir 2| virtually enlarges one end of the chamber 22. A removable closure member 24 forms a section of the lever, being so shaped that when attached to the lever by fasteners 25 it forms the bottom of the reservoir and its chamber is formed in the mold; suitable washers M are interposed, where necessary to render the closure member leakproof.

A column of mercury B is placed in the chamber 22, which chamber is disposed in longitudinal alignment with the projecting lobe I 9 of the lever, so with the leverin normal position, in Figure 2, the chamber and mercury therein are in a horizontal plane, the mercury having found its level horizontally. I employ a pair of similarly shown in Figure 1, so now the mercury chamber 2| is also disposed at a bias or upward inclination whereby the mercury B therein runs down at the incline of the chamber and collects in the reservoir 22 of the lever at the reservoir end of the chamber. In doing this the length of the column of mercury is shortened appreciably, and its depth increased in the reservoir enlargement of the chamber '21, and' no part oithe mercury touches the contact point 29 of contact pin 21,

, hence disrupting and opening the electric lightconstructed electrical contact pins 27 and 2B respectively; contact pin 21 is screwed into one side of the lever so its point 29 extends into the outer end of chamber 22; while "contact pin 28 is screwed into the other side of the lever so that its point 29 is disposed at the opposite or reservoir end of this mercury chamber 2|. Electrical wires 30 and 3| are connected at their inner ends by the fasteners 15 to the case insulatedly, being made-long" enough so as to pay out flexibly when the lever move'sfin its prescribed arcfrom either circuit making or circuit opening position. This is necessary because the free ends of these wires 30 and 31 are respectively connected electrically to the holes C of the outer ends of contact points 21, and 28 respectively. It will be seen that the contact points 29 of the contact pins 21 and 28 will either both be immersed in the mercury column B or else that but one of them will be so immersed, depending upon the position of the switch. lever.

In operation the switch case 4-0 will be located on the hinge side of the door jamb, flush, or at the top of the door, working equally well in any event. When. the switch lever 20 is at rest, as shown in Figure'Z, the door is in open position so as not to exert pressure upon the projecting lobe or toe I53 thereof, In this position of the switch lever the mercury 58 has found its horizontal level and is on an even keel, and therefore it immerses the contact points 29 of both contact pins 21 and 28 at the opposite ends of the electric lighting circuit to a lamp in the room closed by the door A. When, however, the door is closed,

as shown in Figure 1, then gravity shifted lever 20 is oscillated or tilted upon pivotpins l5 and I6, rocks, and as soon as the door im pacts the projecting ;-nose l9 of this lever, and

this movement is undergone by the lever, the 50 2,155,765

lever assumes a biased position within case Ill,

mg circuit so the room becomes dark. When the door is opened again, gravity shifts the position of the switch lever again and this time the main bulk of the lever, having previously been raised, how drops down projecting again the lobe or nose Not the lever out of slot l2 of case 10, ready for another operation when the door engages it again in the manner thus explained.

What I claim is:

Anelectric switch comprising a case having an opening in one Wall thereof, a lever rockably mounted in said case, a pin in said case pivotally connecting one arm of said lever in said case, said arm having a relatively large mass below said pin, a substantially horizontal arm-extending fromthe free end of said former arm and extending through said opening, a substantially horizontal chamber in said first arm, a reservoir in said first arm communicating with said chamber, mercury in said chamber, contactsin the opposite ends of said chamber, said mass and said mercury biasing said horizontal arm to extended position, the mercury being engageable with said contacts in the extended position "of said lever and flowing into said reservoir in -the retracted position of said lever, and moving out of engagement with one of said contacts.

. LEO C. ZEH-NPFENNIG.

REFERENCES CITED UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name 7 Date 1,625,456 Cramblett Apr. 19, 1927 1,205,348 Hoeneman l Nov. 21, 1916 Mcuer Apr. 25, 1939 2,238,630 De Reamer l Apr. 15, 1941 

